College Football Week 8 – Jerry Jones wants Lincoln Riley

Half Heaven - Half Heartache 

We’re halfway through the season and for some teams, it’s half heaven. For others, it’s half heartache.

For Georgia, it was more than half heartache Saturday. It was pure heartburn. The Dawgs couldn’t do anything right in a double-overtime, 20-17 (2OT), loss to South Carolina. It was Georgia’s first loss of the season. Dawg fans sat and watched with stunned looks on their faces, as Georgia came up short again and again on drives and opportunities during the game.

It was like, “When is this nonsense going to end. This is South Carolina for gosh sakes. Georgia should be beating the Gamecocks by three or four touchdowns.”

Georgia placekicker Rodrigo Blankenship missed two of three field goal attempts – his first misses of the season. Blankenship’s second missed field goal was a 42-yard attempt in the second overtime.

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm threw three interceptions. He only completed 54.9% of his passes. Actually, Georgia moved the ball pretty well between the 20s. But when the Dawgs got in or near the red zone, they fell apart. South Carolina’s defense stumped Georgia throughout the game.

Make no mistake about it, Will Mustake was a champ as he was back to being Will Muschamp. On the other hand, there was nothing smart about Kirby Smart. He was Kirby Dumb.

Three other teams experienced half heartaches on Saturday, all losing for the first time. Like Georgia, it was pure heartburn for Florida, as the Gators fell to LSU, 42-28. But unlike Georgia, the Gators weren’t favored in their game against the Tigers.

For most of the three quarters, Florida hung with LSU. The game was tied 28-28 late in the third quarter. Then it all began to unravel for the Gators. The offense sputtered and the defense softened. The Florida defense, that looked so strong against Auburn the week before, ran out of gas.

Basketball season has begun already in the ACC. Louisville beat Wake Forest, 62-59. Actually, it wasn’t a basketball game. It was a football game. And it was Wake Forest’s first loss of the season. Just like that, the Demon Deacons went from half heaven to half heartache, halfway through the season.

Louisville led Wake Forest 52-31 with 9:14 left in the game. But the Deacons rallied and trailed by only three points, 55-52, with 3:37 remaining. Two more touchdowns, one by each team, were scored in the final three minutes of the game. Wake Forest entered the contest a solid favorite to beat Louisville. But like Georgia and Florida, the Demon Deacons are no longer undefeated.

Memphis entered its game against Temple undefeated. But when the contest was over, the Tigers were experiencing half heartache – perhaps heartburn. The Owls beat Memphis, 30-28. Like Wake Forest, the Tigers trailed Temple throughout the game – by as much as 16 points on a couple of occasions. But, like Wake Forest, Memphis’ second-half rally came up short.

So, halfway through the season, four teams – Georgia, Florida, Wake Forest, and Memphis – experienced half heartache, losing for the first time.

However, halfway through the season, 12 teams are still experiencing half heaven. They are the 12 remaining undefeated teams. They are halfway to paradise. Six of the 12 teams – Alabama (6-0), Clemson (6-0), Wisconsin (6-0), Minnesota (6-0), Appalachian State (5-0) and Boise State (6-0) – won easily over the weekend. Four teams – LSU (6-0), Oklahoma (6-0), Penn State (6-0) and Baylor (6-0) – had tough games, and two teams – Ohio State (6-0) and SMU (6-0) – were off.

Alabama took care of business in College Station. The Crimson Tide bested Texas A&M, 47-28. Clemson trounced Florida State, 45-14. Wisconsin devastated Michigan State, 38-0. Minnesota had a surprisingly easy time with Nebraska. The Gophers downed the Huskers, 34-7. Appalachian State was routine against Louisiana. The Little Mountaineers beat the Ragin’ Cajuns, 17-7. And Boise State had no problems with Hawaii. The Broncos topped the Rainbow Warriors, 59-37. Those were the teams that won easily.

Then there were the four who had tough games. LSU fought off Florida, 42-28. Oklahoma outlasted Texas, 34-27. Penn State out-defensed Iowa, 17-12. And it took Baylor two overtimes to subdue Texas Tech, 33-30 (2OT).

This week, three of the 12 undefeated teams are on upset alert. Penn State hosts Michigan. Baylor is on the road at Oklahoma State. SMU hosts Temple. One or more of those could be half heartache by this time next week. Stay tuned!

The other nine undefeated teams should come through okay. Clemson travels to Louisville. Minnesota plays at Rutgers. Ohio State visits Northwestern. Wisconsin is on the road at Illinois. And Boise State has a date at BYU.

Oklahoma hosts West Virginia. Alabama entertains Tennessee. Appalachian State is home against ULM, while LSU takes on Mississippi State in Starkville. Sounds like half heaven to me.

As usual, there were the early games over the weekend. Thursday night, NC State held off Syracuse, 16-10. Friday evening, Miami (Florida) surprised Virginia, 17-9, and Oregon waddled past Colorado, 45-3. The Ducks have won five straight since their season opening loss to Auburn.

Purdue is an unpredictable team this season. Saturday, the Boilers put in on Maryland, 40-14. Purdue quarterback Jack Plummer passed for 420 yards and three touchdowns. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Michigan prepped for Penn State by beating Illinois, 42-25. But the Wolverines almost blew it. Late in the second quarter, Michigan led Illinois, 28-0. Then the Banned Indians scored 25 unanswered points. Early, in the fourth quarter, the Wolverines’ lead had shrunk to three points, 28-25.

Speaking of the Big Ten, Iowa has only scored 15 points in its last two games – three against Michigan and 12 against Penn State. Sounds like the Hawkeyes need to recharge their offense.

In losing to Oklahoma, 34-27, the Texas loss reminded me somewhat of the Longhorns loss to LSU (45-38) earlier in the season. In the LSU game, Texas was always behind, but they kept coming back. The Tigers couldn’t shake them. Saturday, except for a brief 10-10 tie, Texas always trailed Oklahoma, but the Longhorns hung in there. The Sooners couldn’t shake them.

Also in the Big 12, Iowa State thumped West Virginia, 38-14. West Virginia has given up 80 points in its last two games. Watching WVU play is like a game of “Chutes and Ladders.” West Virginia’s theme this season is “Trust the Climb.” Sometimes the Mountaineers land right and climb up the ladder. But other times WVU lands on the chute and takes a big slide down. That was a long chute Saturday.

Just when I had all but given up on Washington, the Huskies up and surprise you. Last week Washington was upset by Stanford, 23-13. Earlier in the season the Huskies were upset by California, 20-19. So when you think that’s it for Washington, the Huskies go on the road Saturday and beat Arizona, 51-27.

In a thriller in the Pac-12, Arizona State beat Washington State, 38-34. The Sun Devils scored with 0:34 left to win the game. It was the Cougars third loss in a row, after starting the season 3-0. Another Pac-12 team lost for the third time this season. USC fell to Notre Dame, 30-27.

In the SEC, Tennessee actually won a game. The Vols beat Mississippi State, 20-10. But lowly Vanderbilt lost to UNLV, 34-10.

My Top 4 superpower teams this week, in alphabetical order, are Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. Waiting in the wings, I have three potential superpower teams – Clemson, Penn State and Wisconsin.

Hats off to Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham, who was 29-for-36, passing for 421 yards and three touchdowns, in the Eagles 45-27 win over North Texas. And to Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on becoming Alabama’s all-time career touchdown pass leader with 81 touchdown passes.

And hats off to Notre Dame running back Tony Jones and Oregon running back C.J. Verdell. Jones rushed for 176 yards in Notre Dame’s 30-27 win over USC, and Verdell rushed for 171 yards in Oregon’s 45-3 win over Colorado.

I don’t have a particular order yet, but my Top 4 Heisman candidates are definitely Joe Burrow, Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. At midseason, the four of them are in half heaven.

Yeah, we’re on the back seven now. Seven weeks down and seven more to go.

Gene Pitney’s “Half Heaven – Half Heartache” reached No. 12 on the Billboard Pop Chart in February 1963.

Touchdown Tom
October 13, 2019
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com



Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Down on the bayou – LSU 42, Florida 28 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Florida 23). The game was tied 21-21 at the half. And it was tied 28-28 late in the third quarter. Then it was over for the Gators. There was a lot of offense. LSU had 512 total yards. Florida had 457 total yards. The teams were pretty close in passing yards. LSU had the distinct advantage in rushing yards – 219 to 146. Amazingly, Florida controlled time of possession – more than 38 minutes. LSU scored quick when it had the ball. Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow was 21-for-24 passing (87.5%). Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,321

RUNNER UP:  No honking – Oklahoma 34, Texas 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Texas 27). Except for a brief 10-10 tie for one minute in the third quarter, Oklahoma always led, but the Sooners couldn’t shake Texas. The Longhorns kept hanging around. Oklahoma dominated in yardage, outpassing and outrushing the Horns. Texas only had 100 yards rushing. OU quarterback Jalen Hurts had four touchdowns – three passing and one rushing. Hurts rushed for 131 yards. The teams only combined for 13 points in the first half. Then exploded for 48 points in the second half. Attendance in Dallas: 92,100

REST OF THE BEST:  Can you spell defense? – Penn State 17, Iowa 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 17, Penn State 10). Iowa was the better passing team – 286 yards to 117. Penn State was the better rushing team – 191 yards to 70. But neither team had a lot of offense. It was a defensive battle. Iowa had two turnovers. Penn State led 7-6 at halftime. Attendance in Iowa City: 69,034

Domination! – Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Michigan State 14). The Badgers dominated. Wisconsin had 403 total yards to 149 for Michigan State. The Badgers had 22 first downs to only seven for the Spartans. Wisconsin also controlled time of possession for more than 39 minutes. Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan was 18-for-21 passing (85.7%). Attendance in Madison: 80,470

The Corn is not sweet – Minnesota 34, Nebraska 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 33, Nebraska 28). Minnesota led 34-0 before Nebraska even scored. The Gophers had 450 total yards to 299 for the Huskers. Minnesota did its damage rushing – 322 yards. The Gophers Rodney Smith rushed for 139 yards. Attendance in Minneapolis: 43,502

What a Hoot – Temple 30, Memphis 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Temple 27, Memphis 24). Temple led 23-7 late in the second quarter. Then the game got tight. Memphis only trailed 23-21 midway through the third quarter. Memphis was plagued with four turnovers. Tigers quarterback Brady White passed for 363 yards. Attendance in Philadelphia: 34,253

No luau – Boise State 59, Hawaii 37 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 31, Hawaii 24). What was supposed to be a close game turned out not to be. Boise State led 31-14 at halftime and 52-21 at the end of three quarters. Hawaii had 438 total yards, but four turnovers. Attendance in Boise: 36,902

Where was the 12^th man? – Alabama 47, Texas A&M 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 30, Texas A&M 15). Alabama outscored Texas A&M in every quarter – 14-7, 10-6, 10-7 and 13-8. Tua Tagovailoa passed for 293 yards and four touchdowns. Bama running back Najee Harris rushed for 114 yards. Attendance in College Station: 106,749

No wampum – Clemson 45, Florida State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 34, Florida State 23). Clemson led 42-0 before Florida State scored. The Tigers had 552 total yards to 253 for FSU. Clemson had 31 first downs to 10 for the Noles. Clemson maintained time of possession for almost 40 minutes. Clemson running back Travis Etienne rushed for 127 yards. Attendance in Clemson: 80,500

Mad dog – Washington 51, Arizona 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 34, Washington 30). Arizona led 17-13 at the break. It was all Washington in the second half. The Huskies outscored the Wildcats 38-10 in the third and fourth quarters. Arizona suffered from four turnovers. Attendance in Tucson: 47,933



….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Nothing ragin’ about the Cajun – Appalachian State 17, Louisiana 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Appalachian State 26, Louisiana 21). Close game until 1:55 remaining in the fourth quarter when App State expanded their lead from 10-7 to 17-7. Until that point, it was anybody’s ball game. The Little Mountaineers held the Ragin’ Cajuns to 254 total yards. Attendance in Lafayette: 21,012



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Stalled out – Iowa State 38, West Virginia 14 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Iowa State 27). The game was tied 14-14 at the half. Iowa State outscored West Virginia 24-0 in the second half. WVU only had 190 total yards – only 41 yards rushing. The Cyclones controlled the ball for 36 minutes. Iowa State running back Breece Hall rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns. Attendance in Morgantown: 51,836

Not much of an engineer – Duke 41, Georgia Tech 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 35, Georgia Tech 17). The Dookies had a second quarter breakout, outscoring the Yellow Jackets, 28-7. That gave Duke a 38-10 halftime lead. Neither team scored much in the second half. In spite of the score, the teams were pretty closely matched in the stats. Tech actually had more total yards. Attendance in Durham: 21,741

Stunned in Athens – South Carolina 20, Georgia 17 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 30, South Carolina 18). Georgia outpassed and outrushed South Carolina. The Dawgs had 468 total yards to 297 for the Gamecocks. Georgia 30 first downs to 16 for South Carolina. The Dawgs controlled the ball for 36 minutes. And yet, Georgia lost. Four turnovers didn’t help Georgia any. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Turtle soup – Purdue 40, Maryland 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Maryland 28, Purdue 27). Purdue led 30-14 at the break and skunked Maryland in the second half. The Boilers had 547 total yards. Purdue quarterback Jack Plummer passed for 420 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 80.5 percent of his passes. Attendance in West Lafayette: 52,296

Week 7 Results:  10 winners, 5 fumbles (66.7 percent)
For the Season:   75 winners, 28 fumbles (72.8 percent)



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Bethune-Cookman 27, North Carolina Central 13 – Attendance in Durham: 5,261
Miami 17, Virginia 9 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 54,538
Morehead State 30, Jacksonville 22 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 1,433 

Florida A&M 42, South Carolina State 38 – Attendance in Orangeburg: 15,792
South Florida 27, BYU 23 – Attendance in Tampa: 35,375

Florida Atlantic 28, Middle Tennessee 13 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 12,107
FIU 48, Charlotte 23 – Attendance in Miami: 16,834
Mississippi College 34, Florida Tech 14 – Attendance in Cleveland: 2,507



Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Washington State’s Anthony Gordon – 44-64-0 for 466 yards (3TDs); Southern Miss’s Jack Abraham – 29-36-0-421 (3TDs); Purdue’s Jack Plummer – 33-41-0-420 (3TDs); Colorado State’s Patrick O’Brien – 25-34-0-420 (3TDs), and San Jose State’s Josh Love – 23-45-1-405 (3TDs).

Also, Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels – 26-36-0 for 363 yards (3TDs); Memphis’ Brady White – 28-43-1-363 (2TDs); Texas Tech’s Jett Duffey – 31-42-2-362 (1TD); Nevada’s Malik Henry – 22-37-2-352 (1TD); Northern Illinois’ Ross Bowers – 23-39-1-338 (1TD), and Missouri’s Kelly Bryant – 23-35-1-329 (1TD).

Impressive Rushers:

New Mexico’s Bryson Carroll – 193 yards (1TD); Notre Dame’s Tony Jones – 176 yards; Oregon’s C.J. Verdell – 171 yards; Indiana’s Stevie Scott – 164 yards; Central Michigan’s Kobe Lewis – 161 yards (2TDs); South Florida’s Jordan Cronkrite – 158 yards (2TDs), and Florida Atlantic’s Malcolm Davidson – 149 yards (1TD).



Quotes of the Week

“I don’t think we ask those questions right now. We’re seven games into the schedule. I think that is sort of a dumbass question, to be quite honest with you,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio when, after the 38-0 loss to Wisconsin, a reporter asked him if it was a mistake not to bring in a new offensive staff this season.

“I feel like I didn’t do my job, today,” Georgia placekicker Rodrigo Blankenship, on missing two field goals against South Carolina.

“I mean. It’s a great achievement, but we’re not done yet. As a team we still gotta continue to grow. We still gotta get each other better offensively and defensively and see what we can do better,” Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, on becoming Alabama’s all-time career touchdown pass leader.

“We’re just getting started,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, after the Sooners win over Texas.



Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some 

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Michigan (5-1) at Penn State (6-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Michigan plays good defense, but bad offense. Penn State is good on both sides of the ball. The Wolverines don’t appear to be improving. The Nitts are definitely improving. Improvement wins – Penn State 24, Michigan 16.

RUNNER UP:  2. Arizona State (5-1) at Utah (5-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, PAC-12N – These are the two best teams in the Pac-12 South Division. One of the two will most likely play in the Pac-12 championship game. It will be the Utes – Utah 30, Arizona State 23.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Oregon (5-1) at Washington (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – These are the two best teams in the Pac-12 North Division. One of the two will most likely play in the Pac-12 championship game. It will be the Ducks – Oregon 33, Washington 30. 

4. Temple (5-1) at SMU (6-0) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – After the big upset win over Memphis last week, look for Temple to be off this week. The Owls may still be celebrating. Plus this is a road game for Temple. SMU believes in themselves. Mustangs rule – SMU 30, Temple 27. 

5. Tulane (5-1) at Memphis (5-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – After falling to Temple last week, look for Memphis to bounce back this week. The Tigers will be mad. They take their anger out on Tulane. But the Green Wave won’t be a pushover. Tigers rub ’em – Memphis 34, Tulane 27. 

6. Baylor (6-0) at Oklahoma State (4-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Baylor had a close call last week. It took them two overtimes to win. In Stillwater, the Bears will  be on upset alert. Another close call for the Bears – Baylor 27, Oklahoma State 25. 

7. West Virginia (3-3) at Oklahoma (6-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – West Virginia can only hope that Oklahoma has a bit of a letdown, following the big win over Texas. That win probably took something out of the Sooners. But not enough to lose to the Mounties – Oklahoma 41, West Virginia 20. 

8. Florida (6-1) at South Carolina (3-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Curious game. How will Florida react to its first loss? How will South Carolina react to its big won over Georgia? The Gators bounce back – Florida 24, South Carolina 22. 

9. Duke (4-2) at Virginia (4-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Virginia was awful last week in its loss to Miami. Unfortunately for the Dookies, the Cavs won’t be awful this week – Virginia 30, Duke 21. 

10. Southern Miss (4-2) at Louisiana Tech (5-1) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, NFLN – This is a big game in C-USA. Both teams are undefeated in conference play. Southern Miss has a dangerous passer in Jack Abraham. La Tech is tough all around. Bulldogs have bite in their bark – Louisiana Tech 29, Southern Miss 26. 



….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

11. Iowa State (4-2) at Texas Tech (3-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – Texas Tech has looked good in its last two games – the win over Oklahoma State and in the double-overtime loss to Baylor. But after a rough start, Iowa State is on a roll. The Cyclones roll over the Raiders – Iowa State 33, Texas Tech 31. 



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Kentucky (3-3) at Georgia (5-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Uga is mad – a mad Dawg. And the Dawgs will take out their anger on Kentucky. I hope the Wildcats have their rabies shots. It won’t be pretty. The return of Fromm – Georgia 32, Kentucky 15.

Kansas (2-4) at Texas (4-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, LHN – Texas will be down after the loss to Oklahoma. Kansas could take advantage. But the Longhorns will cover that advantage – Texas 37, Kansas 17.

Purdue (2-4) at Iowa (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Iowa has lost two-straight games. And the Hawkeyes have only scored 15 points in those two losses. Purdue quarterback Jack Plummer is hot. But the Hawkeyes will be hotter – Iowa 27, Purdue 23.



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Marshall (3-3) at Florida Atlantic (4-2) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 6:30 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN…. 

Georgia Tech (1-5) at Miami (3-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ACCN….
Dayton (4-1) at Stetson (4-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
Davidson (4-2) at Jacksonville U. (2-4) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+…. 

West Florida (4-1) at West Georgia (4-2) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida Tech (3-3) at Valdosta State (6-0) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
South Florida (3-3) at Navy (4-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….
Norfolk State (2-5) at Bethune-Cookman (5-1) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3…. 

North Carolina A&T (4-1) at Florida A&M (5-1) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
UTEP (1-4) at FIU (3-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
East Carolina (3-3) at UCF (4-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….
Florida State (3-3) at Wake Forest (5-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN….

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com 

P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but there were two passings of note last week – Karen Pendleton and Robert Forster.

Karen Pendleton, one of the original Mouseketeers from “The Mickey Mouse Club” in the 1950s, died last week in Fresno, California. She was 73. Known for her shoulder-length blonde curls, Pendleton was among the youngest of the original Mouseketeers. She appeared on “The Mickey Mouse Club” during its entire first run from 1955 to 1959, one of only nine to do so. She famously paired with Carl “Chubby” O’Brien in the episode closing “Now it’s time to say goodbye” song. Karen Pendleton was born on August 1, 1946, in Glendale, California. She was paralyzed from the waist down in a car crash in 1983 and spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Undaunted, she returned to school and earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Through it all, Pendleton maintained friendships with her fellow Mouseketeers, joining them at reunions, parades and fan shows.

Robert Forster, the actor whose comeback role as a bail bondsman in “Jackie Brown” earned him an Oscar nomination, and who drew acclaim for his performances on the television series “Breaking Bad” and the reboot of “Twin Peaks,” died last week at his home in Los Angeles. He was 78. Forster appeared in close to 200 films and televisions shows during his more than five decades in show business. He made his movie debut in 1967 in “Reflections in a Golden Eye” that starred Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor. He starred in two short-lived TV series in the early 1970s “Banyon” and “Nakia.” Forster was in the 1986 movie “The Delta Force” with Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin. He was born Robert Wallace Foster on July 13, 1941, in Rochester, New York. His surname was changed when he became an actor. Forster received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Rochester. He moved to New York City and made his Broadway debut in 1965 in “Mrs. Dally Has a Lover” with Arlene Francis.